Leo and I have been preparing for our New Year's Day meal. We were both fortunate to grow up in old, traditional Southern families in which there was only one meal that you could eat on New Year's Day.
And in thinking back, neither Leo nor I could remember a New Year's Day that we haven't eaten this meal which includes collards, black-eyed peas, rice, and pork. Most years, we've had some sweet potatoes, too.
Have you ever wondered why Southerners eat certain foods to ring in the new year? Well, we'll start with the black-eyed peas.
Here I have dried black-eyed peas soaking. The peas swell when soaked and then cooked, which is a sure sign of prosperity in the new year. We all hope our bank accounts swell in a similar way.
When I was a child, my mother always said that eating black-eyed peas meant that you would have lots of loose change during the year. I guess that's why I've always loved to eat them.
There are lots of stories about how this age-old tradition evolved. Many of the stories revolve around the Civil War during which Southerners were literally starving. All the other food had been raided and stolen, but since black-eyed peas were thought to be food for livestock, they were left alone. So the Southerners' lives were sustained by eating the peas.
In the Lowcountry, those folks combine their black-eyed peas with rice and perhaps a little sausage and call it hoppin' john. But Leo and I like our peas served over a dish of hot, steaming yellow rice.
This morning I put on a large pot of collards to have tomorrow. If you want to cook some collards, you can read Leo's recipe here. Traditionally, Southerners eat a "mess" of greens on New Year's Day to symbolize economic fortune in the new year. The greens could be turnip greens, mustard greens, or cabbage. Come to think of it, those collards in the picture do look a little bit like folded, paper money, don't they?
These are all the collard plants that we have left in our garden. Earlier this week, Leo and I cooked a huge pot of them outdoors and put 6 gallon size bags of them in our freezer. Cold, arctic air is on its way to South Carolina, and we will freeze some more of these before we lose them to the hard freeze that is expected.
The only other things left in our garden are these 3 heads of cabbage, some parsley, and a little broccoli. It will all have to be harvested before the cold arrives.
Now, no self-respecting Southerner will have a New Year's meal without pork. Here I used a little fatback to flavor the collards that I cooked today.
Once the fat is rendered out of the fatback, it becomes a little snack for Leo. And if a hog jowl is used to flavor the black-eyed peas, then you've got the use of pork covered.
Why pork? It symbolizes progress because of its rich fat content. I've also read that pigs root for food and then move forward. You would never dare to put chicken on your table for New Year's because a chicken scratches backwards! Ah, yes, these traditions are still steeped in our culture down here in the South.
Just to make sure we have plenty of luck in the new year, Leo and I are cooking some country style ribs tomorrow.
Skillet cornbread is usually served with this meal. The cornbread represents gold. I'm serving some, too, just for a little insurance, ya know.
And I have these fine looking sweet potatoes to cook. I haven't decided how I'm going to prepare them. Any ideas?
Wash it all down with some sweet tea, throw in some football, and you've got the makings of the traditional way we celebrate New Year's Day in the South. Guaranteed to bring a happy, prosperous new year, or at the very least, a happy belly!
Cherell Martin
I love your New Years tradition post. Do this for every holiday.
Dawn
I so loved this post! Having been raised in South Carolina, I do love my traditional New Years Day meal! I've moved around the Midwest for the past few years, but always carry the south in my heart, and more importantly on my table! Thank you for giving me a little piece of home as I read!
Cherell
Yes it did and I’m from Alabama
A. Sanborn
Though NOT a Southerner. Two years ago I began making a TRADITIONAL New Years soup of a Southerner using black eyed peas, collard greens, smoked ham hocks along with cubed ham, carrots, celery, garlic, etc...
PROBLEM - CAN NOT find the COLLARD GREENS here in the North? Being a bit superstitious after the inability to purchase smoked ham hocks and being forced to use a high grade smoked bacon instead is it OKAY to substitute KALE if one can't find COLLARD GREENS? This is what ALL the sources I've searched recommends as being the closest in TASTE - TEXTURE - etc ...
2018 is fast approaching and I'm headed for a last ditch effort to find the COLLARD GREENS this morning as I'm in need of a better year than 2017 in so many ways!
Jane Windham
Yes, kale would work fine. Just be sure to massage it before you cook it to make it more tender.
Glenda
Hi Jane,
I so enjoyed your site. I knew you must be in South Carolina when I read Leo's collard recipe. My South Carolina grandmother cooked them the same way.....and fat back... no one hardly knows what that is these days. I had a real laugh when Leo talked about removing the stems...a lesson from my grandmother as well. Thanks for the reminder of sweet memories of dinner at her table.
laurie
Jane, you made me so hungry! I think I want my NY Day meal right now! I wonder how many So. kitchens had black eyed peas soaking last night? We'll be having black eyed peas cooked with hog jowl, cabbage, Jamblaya with Kiabasa, served over rice, and of course, corn bread. I have a great sweet potato casserole recipe. Let me know if you want me to email it. I'm not sure where this tradition started, but I've never heard of anyone else doing it. After the peas cook, I pour boiling water over dimes (it's supposed to be one dime, but what are you going to do if you have 5 grandchildren looking for dimes). I put them in the peas, and anyone who finds a dime is guaranteed good fortune in the new year. This was done in my childhood home, and I continue the tradition. Of course, passing the b.e. peas is a chore, because it takes awhile to try to fish a dime out of the bowl! Nobody has choked on a dime yet, but one did get in the disposal one year! laurie
Kathy
Thanks for sharing, it's good to know another "good old southern gal" who will be having the southern dinner for New Years. Hope 2013 brings much joy and happiness to you and yours.
[email protected] Clutter
Ha, Jane, I have never had collard greens or black eyed peas for New Year's. It's definitely a southern tradition. Enjoy your New Year's meal!
Kathryn Griffin
Happy New Year! I had it all except for the greens. We completely forgot this one! Anyhoo, hope you have a grand day! Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse
Deb
Very much enjoyed the sharing of your New Year 's culinary traditions! Holidays made of food memories are the best!
Jean Windham
Thanks for the New Years Day list of good food. I actually cooked about the same lunch myself. Thanks for sharing. Jean
Dee
That all looks so good!
In live in the north. We don't really have those same beliefs. I have never tried collards. Nor have I've ever been served it. It looks really yummy! I will buy it the next time I go food shopping.
Dee
CJ Foss
Jane, Thanks for posting and sharing these meaningful, Southern traditions. I read your entire post aloud to my husband, who commented, "Wow. She's a writer." You certainly are a writer, one with a unique voice and story to tell. What an honor to have you link up with R & R. Enjoy your pea, collards, pork ribs (mouth watering), and those sweet potatoes. Here is my favorite sweet potato recipe (it really is more dessert than side). Happy 2012! ~CJ
Sweet Potato Yum
3 cups sweet potatoes, canned or cooked and mashed
1 cup sugar
12 cup margarine
2 eggs, beaten
1 Tsp vanilla
½ Tsp cinnamon
½ cup milk
Beat together. Put in baking dish
Top with (sometimes I double the topping for extra sweetness)
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup flour
13 cup margarine
1 cup chopped pecans
Mix together and sprinkle over top of potatoes. Bake 25 minutes at 35 minutes
Lavender Dreams
Very traditional...and yummy! I'll take a sweet potato baked in the oven with lots of butter on top! I can make a meal out of that! Happy New Year! ♥♥♥
[email protected] Porch Musings
Happy New Year Jane!
[email protected] Charm
Jane,
Wishing you and your family a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! Now go and enjoy that wonderful southern meal:)
Blessings,
Linda
Jen
Happy New Year!!
Dolly Sarrio
Jane, you and Leo are making me so hungry! Happy New Year.
Kathleen
I love that you have your traditional New Year's meal. Growing up New Years Day was always a big celebration with family, and a big fresh ham was roasted.
Unfortunately, my kids go to VT after Cmas and are never back for Jan. 1. I miss that.
Happy 2012, good health!
Kim
My husband doesn't care much for greens so we don't have the traditional meal. Not sure what we are going to eat tomorrow.
Happy New Years!!
Jane
Jane...I like this post, it's informative and fun. I never think in advance to have the peas and rice although it definitely sounds tasty and we could all use some good luck!
I love sweet potatoes. I peel and cut them into chunks and boil them. Then I bake them for about 20 minutes with a little brown sugar and butter. Yum!
Wishing you both a wonderful New year. Enjoy your dinner!
XO,
Jane
Pat
I enjoyed this post. Love southern cooking and traditions. Happy New Year! Pat
Rebecca
Jane,
how fun to be reminded of what the traditions are for all that great food! I'm originally from CA and we had ate sauerkruat and pigs in a blanket out there. It wasn't till I married a "Southerner" and moved to the South that I was introduced to all those foods by my MIL. She cooked all of those things every New Year. Brings back found memories!
Have a Happy New Year, eat a lot and enjoy!
Rebecca
Vickie
Jane , only two old southern ladies would both have a pot of peas as their blog photo! LOL!I just posted about my New Years meal and then I found that you had already done almost the same post.! Well our meals will be delicious-wonder what non Southeners eat on New Years Day? I hope you and Mr. Leo have a wonderful New Year.
Pat
Jane ! so glad you posted the whole scoop on these fine traditions. I have to tell ya...when I was a kid; my Momma made sure we had cabbage and black eyed peas on New Years Day, for all the reasons you mentioned.
But when I married-- that all changed. The Husbands family was from Ohio...and my mother in law told me once years ago...black eyed peas was Cow feed! (see?) ...so she wouldn't eat them. The Husband didn't like caggage.
Now, I'm not superstitious at all...but I decided after the year we've had... WHAT COULD IT HURT?!
So off to the store I went today... (I had a ham in freezer)
So... I bought cabbage, black eyed peas and cornbread... the whole family will be here tomorrow-- it is sure to be scarfed up!
The only thing I'm missing...is my Red Solo cup...but we're having a party anyhow!
Happy New Year to you and Leo.
Pat
Scribbler
Love this! We are charcoaling a pork loin tomorrow and on the side, adding some Jack Daniels BBQ sauce; turnip greens with hot sauce; black eyed peas with jalapenos (husband is Texan); sweet potatoes smashed with buttah, lots of it, and orange mahmalahde! Corn bread in a black skillet will hold it all to-gethah!
Happy New Year!
Rose
Love your post! Happy New Year!
Rosemary
This post reminded me of my mother, and grandmother. Nothing like a good old fashioned southern meal. Happy New Year.
dawn
You are so informative. I didn't know food had meaning. It all looks delicious. Happy New Year!!!
Gina
I enjoyed reading about your Southern traditions. Happy New Year, Jane & Leo!
christine @ Stonehouse Living
Hi Jane,
Enjoy your feast...Have a very Happy New Year!
It all looks very good, a very comforting meal to share with family!
All the Best,
Christine
Rita Cagle
Okay, thank you very much for the information. I did not know the peas during the Civil War part. I do eat them every New Year. I didn't know the collard green bit either. Hog jowl is not to my liking but I love all other pork - probably will have ham. You can't have black eyed peas with cornbread - New Years or not. As for the sweet potatoes - I am all for baked with lots of butter. Loved this post. Happy and prosperous New Year to you all.
Audrey
You are making me extremely homesick! There is nothing that compares to a 'mess of greens' with good old 'pot liquor' and cornbread in a cast iron skillet! Happy New Year.
Audrey
Barbara F.
Jane, I so enjoyed this post. I knew about the black eye peas, I need to run out and get some of this stuff!!!!!! Oh my, can I substitute green peas?! and maybe spinach for the collards?! 🙂 I want to wish you and Leo a very happy, healthy New Year, and all the best for a bright 2012. I am happy to have met you guys in Blogland, and I look forward to many visits 'next' year! xo